Misunderstandings
by Young Goodman Brown
Summary: Neji is frustrated. Unfortunately for him, Tenten thinks she knows why. NejiTen.


_A/N: Muahaha._

_2013 EDIT: Eek, the cheese. Well, it's still cute…I guess._

_Disclaimer: Yeah, no._

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It was a beautiful, sunny day in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, lovely and peaceful and cloudless and warm, and secreted away in the tranquil depths of the forests, Neji was meditating.

Well, not quite. From afar, he certainly _looked_like he was meditating, like he was immune to the wind and to the melody of the trees, like he was completely focused on the regulation of his breathing and achieving inner serenity, like he had utterly surrendered himself to the raptures of Nirvana while taking a much needed break from an intense bout of training with his trusty sparring partner. Closer inspection revealed, however, that he was actually brooding with his eyes closed while stiffly resting in a crossed-leg position.

Neji was frustrated. Frustrated, because only one thing could affect him in such a way.

…Okay, the petty politics and family drama of his Clan could do that too. So could a particularly bad mission. Even Lee's crazily youthful antics could easily throw him into a fit of rage and annoyance and green-jumpsuit-burning fury…not to mention the whole 'being branded with an ugly-ass seal that indicates one's eternal servitude to the chains of tradition and evil'…actually, come to think of it, he was just sort of a cranky guy in general —

_Anyway,_the point was that he was in a bad mood. And it was because of _her._

Tenten.

Tenten, who was currently wearing white lacy panties under her —

_Agh!_ And see, that was the problem!

Neji huffed as elegantly as he could while he rearranged himself against the trunk of a large oak. Stupid Tenten. Stupid lacy undergarments. And stupid Byakugan for allowing him to observe the finer details of said undergarments, how the satin material shifted effortlessly with the movements of her graceful form, how the cut of the fabric perfectly hugged the curve of her…_mmm_…

He refrained from banging his head against the tree. Yes, he was frustrated. Very, _very_ frustrated.

And not just for obvious hormonal reasons, either. In fact, Neji had been in a constant state of mild frustration for quite a while now, a subtle tension that had corded the whole of his body for almost five years, and it was entirely due to Tenten, her pretty face and sensuous figure, her fiery spirit and disturbingly likable personality…and her utter disregard for anything even remotely related to romance. It was actually one of the many characteristics he admired and respected in his treasured companion, since she was always able to put training and missions and power far above frivolous, insipid things like…like love.

He had himself tried to shove aside all his of romantic inclinations years ago, forgoing them in his ruthless attempts to prove himself worthy of the Hyuuga blood with which he was so richly blessed. And that had worked—for a while. Still, against his better judgment, he'd found that, over the last five years of his life, his feelings of comradeship and affection for his female teammate had evolved into something—something more. And now, mere _friendship_ wasn't nearly enough to satisfy him.

She seemed happy enough with the current state of affairs, though, so he was reluctant to disrupt the status quo by slamming her up against a wall and gently fisting…er…and confessing his feelings, yeah. To that effect, he swore to himself and his cool, stoic cover that he wouldn't act until she gave him a sign, until she indicated somehow that she wanted him too.

But years of waiting had made it painfully clear to him that, well, that she didn't. That sort of sucked. And what sucked even _more_was the realization that, even if she _did_ secretly desire him, she would never act upon those hidden wants. Her pride as a kunoichi, as a fiercely independent person who required no assistance from any man, as an ambitious young woman who strove to be one of the greatest ninja of her time—that pride would never allow it.

Which meant that she wouldn't ever want to date him, or be courted by him, or hug him or hold hands with him or kiss him or whisper sweet nothings to him, or…or love him and be loved by him in return.

…Which also meant that she probably wouldn't engage in sexy makeout sessions with him anytime soon.

Which was frustrating.

This time Neji succumbed to his innermost desires and proceeded to bang his head relentlessly against the tree trunk.

_Thwack thwack THWACK thwa —_

"NEJI! What on earth—what are you _doing?_"

Neji groaned—first of all, because that fucking hurt way more than he'd thought it would, and second of all because of course _she_had to show up during the _one_moment he lost his legendary grip on his self-control.

Dammit. Why did his angsty inner monologues always have to coincide with real-life events?

"I'm fine, Tenten," he grumbled, trying his best not to whimper like a little bitch. "New…new training exercise. Now what do you want?"

Tenten flinched, taken aback at his tone. Then she scowled. "Okay, no need to bite my head off, Neji! I was just wondering why you were taking such a long break!"

Neji twitched in irritation. "Yes, well, am I not allowed a few moments to myself?" He scoffed as he turned away from her. "I'm sure you survived just fine without the burden of my presence."

Tenten sighed. _Hoo, boy._She could tell when he was angsting. "Oh, Neji…I just wanted to hang out with you, is all." She approached him slowly, cautiously kneeling to rest in front of him. "…You're frustrated, aren't you?"

Her breasts were literally _one_meter away from him, and if he just reached out a—Neji shook the delicious thought from his mind and scowled darkly. "No, I am not."

She crossed her arms, squishing those breasts together. He cursed the wonders of his enhanced vision. "Neji, I'm your teammate. Your _friend._And yeah, I can tell you _are_, in fact, very frustrated." Her eyes softened. "Can I at least venture a guess why?"

"No." And then Neji sighed, hating how he was pretty much incapable of refusing her. "…Okay, fine."

She brightened immediately. "Great!" And then she bit the pink of her lip. "So… Neji…do you…"

He glared at her, willing the girl to hurry it up. Not like she'd be able to guess anyway.

Tenten winced, but obliged. "…Neji, do you have a dark, secret crush on someone that you've been hiding for years, and now the weight of your obsession is boiling over into fits of uncontrolled rage and sexual frustration?"

Neji stiffened. _Oh, SHIT._

But he was too refined to voice that, so he settled for, "I do not feel compelled to answer. And why do you even think that, anyway?"

He tried not to swoon when he saw the lovely amber of her eyes melt into a mixture of distress and impatience. "Because, Neji, you seem so upset and…and _tense_these days! I don't know what else it could be, since the Clan is pretty chill lately and our last mission went well and Lee isn't even here right now! Neji, I'm _worried_ about you!" She stopped herself from clutching anxiously at his arm, though he could still feel the concern that practically radiated from her person. "Please, you just always look so _frustrated_."

Okay, screw swooning. His eyebrow twitched. "And, by interrogating me, you think you are _helping_ in that regard?"

She smacked his shoulder lightly, though the action was belied by her gentle tone. "Please, Neji, you grouchy man you, you shouldn't hide this anymore. Things…things will never change for the better if you don't reveal yourself a little. And…and I know that it's hard, and that it's awkward, but…"

She paused. "Neji," she said quietly, firmly, as she straightened her posture and looked him dead in the eye. "Hyuuga Neji. I promise that I will never think any less of you, no matter what you say. But do _you_ have the courage to tell me?"

He stared unflinchingly into her gaze. And even without activating his Byakugan, he saw the words clearly written across her eyes.

_I know._

Neji internally panicked. How could she possibly know? He'd always kept his affections so well-hidden! But then a sudden realization struck him—if she _knew_, and she was practically ordering him to tell her, then that meant she _wanted_to hear about his feelings, which could only mean _one thing_…

He felt a gentle smile creep up upon his face. Five years of frustration slowly eased out of him through the curl of his lip.

_That's the sign._

Neji smirked. "Yes, Tenten, I do."

She looked absolutely giddy at that announcement. "Really? Really?" Tenten was practically bouncing with excitement…along with a few other, ahem, parts of her, a sight Neji hungrily drank in. "So, so, so tell me about your crush! How long have you…you know?"

Well, the cat was out of the bag anyway. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well…I have had a secret…interest," the word 'crush' was a bit too juvenile for his tastes, "in this person for almost…almost five years. Since our first Chuunin exams."

"Hmm, the Chuunin exams," She murmured thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. "That's a really long time, you know! Why didn't you just man up and confess?"

He scowled. What did it look like he was doing? "It is a bit more complicated than that, of course. You see…"

He averted his gaze. "You see, I have been watching this person for many years now. And it always seemed that my affections were never returned, that our interactions would always be limited to training and…and fighting as one unit, _together_, for Konoha, since our separate quests for acknowledgement and strength always seemed to blind us from maybe…deepening our relationship." He suddenly looked up, his white stare boring into her eyes. "And I didn't want to jeopardize what we had, because even those limited moments are precious to me…and because I suspected that my…_crush_," he scowled, remembering a certain inspirational bowl-haired teammate, "…fancied another. A complete and utter buffoon, I might add." He breathed in deeply before continuing on. "Still, despite my attempts at suppressing my emotions, I couldn't help it…for this person is so very important to me, and has always driven me to be the best shinobi I can become, and I always, always come back to this feeling, anyway, and…"

Neji clenched his fists. "And I cannot hide this any longer. My love is too strong to lock away. And now that you have presented me the key, I choose to open myself and…and welcome this feeling in."

It was corny, but that was the nature of love, wasn't it? And, he tried to tell his cool, stoic cover, after all those years of strictly controlling his deep passion for her, he could stand to be the amorous protagonist of a romance novel for at least five minutes…

At the end of it all, Neji chanced a glance at the subject of his thoughts. She looked…overwhelmed.

"Wow," Tenten exhaled in amazement, her hand coming to rest upon her chest. "…wow."

Neji turned away, slightly embarrassed. He hoped that his cheeks weren't too pink. And he hoped that the whole spiel sounded okay, considering how he didn't even get the chance to practice that monologue in front of his mirror, a rehearsal routine he typically employed for his 'I Am But a Caged Bird' diatribes.

"That was beautiful, Neji! I'm so glad," Tenten whispered, eyes gentled in…tenderness? "I understand now why you hid your feelings for so long…but you didn't have to be so embarrassed, because that was nothing to be ashamed of." She started to lean towards him, her face quickly nearing his. "…Neji…"

His breath quickened.

"I'm so happy…"

His breath quickened in anticipation.

"…to finally hear those words from you…"

His heart thrummed lightly in his chest.

"…since I've waited so long…"

His eyes hyper-focused on her pink, pink lips.

"There's only one more thing I want to ask you…"

His head nodded slowly.

"…who is it?"

And then his jaw dropped. "Wait, WHAT?"

Her grin suddenly looked all too maniacal. "Come on, Neji, you gotta tell me! Who is it, who is it?"

If he were a lesser man, he would have literally face-faulted. As it was, he settled for gaping like a complete idiot. And after a few moments of staring stupidly at his unfortunately very cute and oblivious teammate, all he managed to rasp out was a, "…You're joking."

She cackled gleefully. _Gleefully!_"Of course not, Neji! I need a _naaame_," she sing-songed, poking him in the shoulder. "You've given me a pretty good idea, but I still don't really know your type." He twitched. _What type? What the hell's going on?_"From what you've said, I'm guessing dark, and mysterious. Oooh! And powerful too!" Neji felt his mouth begin to permanently detach itself from his face as she rambled on. "The strong, standoffish, prodigious type, huh? I'm surprised you'd be into that, but it's okay. That's pretty hot, you know." She grinned mischievously. "Straight out of a doujin! It's perfect. I'll help you melt the heart of your one true love!" She gave him one final poke. "We should compare notes, ne, Neji?"

He swiftly used his right hand to lift his jaw and slam his mouth back into place. "What…Tenten, what on earth are you…"

"You don't have to hide anymore, Neji!" She grasped his shoulder purposefully. "I meant it when I said you don't need to be ashamed! And besides, everyone knows that's the real reason why you challenge strong, handsome, intimidating shinobi all the time and dub them your 'rivals'!"

She had better not be implying what he suspected she was. "I don't…that's not what I—"

"Please, Neji," Tenten interrupted, her voice suddenly losing its playful tone. He sighed in relief—finally, she was going to answer him seriously! "No matter what, I'm just glad you're finally being honest with yourself. Konoha's very open-minded, you know! And just because my money's on Shino, doesn't mean you have to go for him. The rest of the village seems to think it's the Uchiha anyway…or at least that's what the bookies say…"

Neji's eyes bugged out from his head. "Tenten—you—you think I'm in love with a _man?_"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't think it, of course, I know it! You just told me, in any case!" She said that as though it was common knowledge. _Common_knowledge_!_"I've known for a while, actually. Don't deny it! And Gai-sensei was right—"

"When it comes to something like this, Gai-sensei is _never right—_"

"Gai-sensei was right," she frowned at him, before her lips returned to her devilish smirk, "that there had to be a reason for you being, well, YOU, frustrated, anal-retentive, sexually repressed and priggish _you_, and if you're not secretly hiding your five-years-long obsession with Shino then what else—" She gasped as she was suddenly struck by a look of horror.

He groaned. Thank Kami, because he seriously had to make her see. "Have you realized it now?"

She quivered as she shied away from him. "That changes everything, Neji. I thought I—I thought I _knew_you! How can I ever look at you the same…?"

"Can you see why this was so hard for me, then? Why it took me so long to admit the truth?" He glared at her pointedly. She was so difficult sometimes. "I thought I made it fairly clear, Tenten. The woman I love simply doesn't want to return my affection, or is too focused on becoming stronger, or is perhaps in love with another, or is too ashamed to admit her desire for me and isn't willing to risk her reputation though we are clearly perfect for one another. Yet she refuses to acknowledge my feelings—"

"But how CAN she?" Tenten cried out, shaking her head as she rocked herself back and forth. "Neji, we knew that you were just trying to hide your sexual urges, but I didn't think you were _that_ screwed up—"

"What?" Oh no, what she was going on about now? "Wait, why am I—"

"You can't! Hinata's your COUSIN, Neji!"

"THE FUCK?" He yelled, pounding his fist into the ground as more profanities swirled through his mind and tried to spill out of his mouth. _Fuckingwhatthefuckingfuckfuck—_ "Tenten, _what the hell?_ I'm not—Hinata-sama—we aren't—how can you even—"

"Your weak protests only reveal the truth, Neji!" Tenten screeched, raising a trembling finger in condemnation. "Don't even try to deny it! That's absolutely disgusting—it's not even that you're cousins, it's that you guys are practically _siblings_! You _deserve_all that sexual frustration if you want to bang someone who's _basically your sister!_"

Neji breathed slowly. _In, out_. Thank Kami for all those years of meditative training. "Tenten. Please listen to me." _In, out_. "I do not possess any romantic feelings, repressed or otherwise, for Hinata-sama."

Tenten deflated a little. "Really? Not Hinata-chan?" Then her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "But why else would you hide your feelings for so…NO! Is it _Hanabi?_" Neji smacked his forehead as Tenten raised her voice and clutched her cheeks, utterly aghast. "Oh my god, she's only a kid! Neji, that's even _worse!_" Her voice elevated to a shrieking pitch as she jabbed at his chest accusingly. "Hyuuga Neji, you're a sick, sick, sickass sick sickety—!"

"_ENOUGH!_" Neji finally roared, grabbing her hands and trying his best to refrain from literally shaking sense into the source of his eternal exasperation. _In, out._ "Listen to me, Tenten! I was frustrated because I hid my feelings, and I hid my feelings because of my uncertainty and pride. And just because I may be a bit sexually frustrated, does _not_mean that it was because I am ashamed of _who_ I am interested in!" He reflexively activated his Byakugan as her jaw dropped in shock. _In, OUT DAMMIT!_ "Tenten, please. The person I am in love with is a WOMAN, and she is NOT related to me, and she is of a legal and appropriate age! Furthermore," Neji glared at her as she tried to interrupt, "she is widely respected and reasonably normal, and only mildly psychotic, and she is attractive, and she is not a missing-nin or anything of the like, and she is human, and she is also alive—"

"Okay, now that is _really_messed up—"

"AND it would make sense for any man in this village to be in love with her, INCLUDING me, save for any relatives of hers who might reside here!" He ended his rant, panting harshly, more from the sheer aggravation of this stupid misunderstanding than from his shouting. Maybe he should reconsider the whole being in love with her thing. "_Do you understand, Tenten?_"

A long, awkward pause.

He clutched her hands tighter, trying not to revel in how they fit perfectly within his. _Dammit, you're supposed to be mad at her!_" Tenten, please. Do you understand?"

After a beat, Tenten, to her credit, sheepishly avoided his gaze. "Yeah, I guess I do…sorry Neji…"

She then tried to pull her hands from his, and he reluctantly let her go. Neji watched as she lightly rubbed at her wrists before addressing him once again.

"Neji, it's just…" Tenten shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it's just that you've never shown any interest in a girl before, you know? I've never seen you even check someone out, or look up a skirt, or _anything_ now that I think about it! EVER! Seriously, what kind of heterosexual male doesn't _do_ that shit?" He tried not to wince at that. Oh, if only she knew…that he knew…every single color and every single design of every single undergarment she ever owned…

Tenten frowned thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, you barely even talk to girls! Well, aside from Hinata and me, but we don't count!" Neji frowned. Was she always this dense? He'd always thought he was in love with one of the smarter ones…well, at least she was still cute. "…I mean, we were all like, doesn't Neji have hormones or something? And so we thought that you were maybe _already _interested in somebody, somebody who maybe wasn't female, especially since you always got so stiff and weird whenever I broached the subject of romance with you…and I only brought up Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan because I couldn't think of any other reason why you wouldn't confess!" She looked up at him in utter bewilderment. "I mean, why else would you hide your feelings from the one you love and from just about everybody else for _five whole years_, if you weren't secretly ashamed of the person you were attracted to?"

He scowled. Secret, torturous obsessions over exuberant free spirits were sort of a Hyuuga thing, which she would've noticed by now if she'd only pay attention! "I thought we already went over this."

"Oh we did, we did," Tenten said, waving her arms in an attempt to placate him. "It's just…we all thought that you were such a tight-ass because you were ashamed to reveal your true feelings. The way you're so tense all the time…I mean, since those Chuunin exams you _have_loosened up, a lot actually, but it just seems like you're secretly…" she looked around quickly, before her voice quieted conspiratorially, "really, really, _REALLY horny_."

Neji twitched. Unfortunately, she hit pretty close to the truth…oh who was he kidding, that was completely dead on! He rubbed his temples. "Be that as it may. I refrained from acting upon the inclinations of my hormones for so many years simply because I was…I was embarrassed, and did not wish to be rejected." He glared at her meaningfully, then swiftly changed the subject. "Anyway, I still do not understand why everyone jumped to such conclusions about my sexuality. After all, I've never heard _you_express any such interest in romance, so why am _I_ the only one who's being thusly accused?"

Tenten averted her gaze. "…Oh, well, that is…I…" Neji watched, fascinated, as her cheeks flushed a lovely rose. "I usually talk about this stuff with other…girls…?"

A beat.

Neji's eyes widened. And all he could muster was an, "Oh."

He took a moment to digest the thought. That actually made…sense! Dammit, why didn't he stalk her more often? Then he would have _known_ something like that, and he could have interrogated Hinata-sama about the content of their girl talks, and then he could have maybe casually mentioned his interest in her like four years ago and completely avoided the entirety of this humiliating affair! Shit!

Neji sighed, deactivating his Byakugan as he got up from his meditation pose and leaned against the tree. Well, at least he learned a couple of things today. First, that Tenten might actually be interested in pursuing romantic relationships, and thus might not be that averse to the idea of engaging in sexy makeout sessions with him. Second, that he really _did_hide his feelings for her astoundingly well. Third, that apparently the entire Village not only thought that he was gay, but also gossiped about how incredibly horny and sexually repressed he was because of his secret and passionate desire for dark and mysterious male prodigies. And fourth, that today her bra was the same exact color as her panties but had a different lacy pattern, so why didn't she just wear one of her matching sets instead?

Neji shook that last image from his head, watching as Tenten also stood up and stretched out her limbs. "…Back to training, Tenten?"

"Yup!" She said cheerfully, skipping lightly ahead of him. After a few steps, she turned around and regarded him carefully. "So, Neji… about our conversation earlier…there really is a girl you like? Someone you've been in love with for five years? And the only reason you haven't confessed yet is because…you're embarrassed and afraid of rejection?"

Neji winced. _Shit._He'd almost forgotten about that emotional pseudo-confession. And about why he was so terribly frustrated in the first place. _Stupid remarkably perceptive, disturbingly adorable Tenten. _"…Maybe."

Tenten grinned mischievously. "Who would have thought—the great Hyuuga Neji isn't heartless or a sexually repressed bastard, he's just _shy!_He's been frustrated for so many years because he's just too _bashful_to admit his feelings, like…like a little schoolgirl or something!" She laughed, a tinkling sound that (luckily for that wicked, wicked girl) always managed to quell his killing intent. Neji scowled as he turned away from her. He seriously needed to do some more brooding, preferably with his eyes closed while stiffly resting in a crossed-leg position. "Aww, don't be so embarrassed! Just tell her how you feel! You've been letting those feelings, not to mention your sexual frustration, fester for long enough! Am I right? Am I right?"

Neji fixed a withering glare upon her as they made their way back to the training grounds. Why the hell was he in love with an aggravating girl like her, exactly? Did he even have a reason? "Please cease your mocking at once, Tenten. I am a grouchy man right now, remember?"

She furrowed her brow cutely in confusion. "But, but, Neji!" Tenten pouted as she clutched at his sleeve, as he refrained from gathering her into his arms and squeezing the ever-loving hell out of her, as he refrained from kissing that pout right off of her pink, pink lips. _Frustration, indeed._ "You still haven't told me who you like!"

And so he settled for groaning into his hands instead. Because he had never needed a reason to fall for her. And because, truly, only one thing could affect him in such a way. "…I've already chosen to open myself, Tenten, and you've already presented me the key." _I always, always come back to this feeling, anyway._ He smiled faintly through his fingertips. "…So don't worry, Ten. I'll tell you some other time."

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_A/N: ^_^_

_This turned out to be really long. And it probably needs around 30 more rewrites. And the ending turned out to be cute, not humorous. And the plot isn't terribly original. Whoops_

_But seriously, having an unwavering crush on the same person for five years and doing absolutely nothing about it? Ferchrissakes, Neji! Why you so shy? D: That's a little ridiculous, for either gender…though I've seen a lot of NejiTen stories, from both sides, with this bent o.O_

…_Though it would explain why Neji is STILL such a stick in the mud, and why Tenten can be sort of cranky ^_^_

_First time writing humor, and first time writing a non-angsty NejiTen! Not exactly my comfort zone, so…review, please? :D_


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